Wednesday 14 November 2012

(Click on heading above to read story from Irish Times)

This was
the horror story that Ireland woke up to this morning!

As the day
progressed many voices from the ‘pro-life’ lobby protested that this tragedy
was being used by some to further the cause of abortion legislation in Ireland
and that it was far too soon to rush to judgement on the basis of newspaper
articles alone. It was also argued that our existing case law arising from the
‘X’ case would have allowed for a termination and that the fault lay with the
medical practitioners rather than the legislature.

Whatever the
truth in this specific case, and it is indeed true that we cannot be sure of
the whole story at this early stage, it is obvious that the current situation
is untenable. It seems that despite the ruling on the ‘X’ case there is enough
ambiguity and uncertainty around the grounds for a lawful termination to
suggest that the events that may have led to the death of Savita Halappanavar
could yet be repeated. That is an unacceptable prospect and so something must
be done. Twenty years of political inactivity appears to have resulted in the
most bitter of fruit.

Not
surprisingly there is no political appetite to legislate for the ‘X’ case.
Abortion is the single most divisive and dangerous issue that any politician
will engage with. It seems almost impossible to have a reasoned and tempered
discussion on the issue without it descending into bilateral abuse and
rhetoric. The main problem it seems to me with this debate as it has been
conducted to date is that it is dominated by the extremes. The ‘Pro-life’ and ‘Pro-choice’
groups have set themselves up in direct opposition to one another and any who
occupy the middle ground run the risk of being caught in the crossfire and so have
been sidelined and silenced. This despite the fact that this middle ground may
well be in the majority.

There is fault
to be found in both of the polar opposites as they have positioned themselves.
The ‘Pro-choice’ group have failed to take seriously enough the fact that
abortion is always a tragedy and should not be glossed over callously as no
more significant than a tooth extraction. Whether abortion on demand (which
incidentally I am absolutely opposed to) or due to threat to the mother’s life,
rape or unviability of foetus, it is the termination of life and to minimize
that is to undermine our own humanity. I say this not as a religious person,
which I am, but as a human being. Respect for life is not the sole preserve of
the religious.

When it
comes to the ‘Pro-life’ group the principal fault is ironically the failure to
take seriously the life of the mother. Their pro-life stance is somewhat
selective. The mother is portrayed as a vessel whose sole purpose is to support
the life within her with no account for her own humanity, welfare and
integrity. Her motivations in choosing abortion, no matter how traumatic or
medically necessary, are ignored and her actions are described in terms of
murder regardless of the circumstances. This is cruel and for want of a better
word tantamount to misogyny.

The only
hope for a reasonable debate and a mature and responsible approach to this
issue which we have never faced up to as a nation is for the middle ground to
find its voice. There is an alternative to the current polarisation which has
poisoned any attempts to find a way forward. It is possible to be both
‘Pro-Life’ and ‘Pro-Choice’. We can simultaneously respect the right to life of
the unborn and the life of the mother. Sometimes sadly there will be a conflict
and difficult choices may need to be made but if those decisions are made in the
context of an overarching respect for all life then while there will be pain
our integrity as human beings is maintained. If we refuse to let the extremes
dictate the agenda the previously vacated middle ground can become common
ground and we can show the world that there is a third way that isn’t about mothers
v babies but rather about discovering a much richer and comprehensive reverence
for all life

My all time favourite Radio show / Podcast OnBeing with Krista Tippett is running a series at the moment on the 'Civil Conversations Project' - The conversations hosted by Krista herself deal with all the hot button issues of our time but in a way that brings new light and hope into our human condition.
An earlier series of these conversations can be found here.
Each of the conversations is in podcast,video & transcript format.

Who am I?

Irish Anglican Priest recently moved to a new parish - Based in Celbridge, Co. Kildare but with some parts of Co. Dublin within the parish boundaries - Husband of one wife and father of one son - Opinionated and occasionally troublesome